By Bob Gibson
Daily Progress political blogger
Virginia Republicans in the General Assembly are flocking more to the standard of John McCain than to any of the other candidates left after Rudy Giuliani bowed out today.
McCain backers led by Del. Chris Saxman, R-Staunton, plan to showcase that support Thursday at the General Assembly.
A 4:30 p.m. event hosted by Saxman, co-chair with U.S. Sen. John Warner, R-Alexandria, of McCain’s Virginia campaign, will feature a former Secretary of State and at least a baker’s dozen of state legislators.
Saxman and Lawrence Eagleburger of Albemarle County will showcase the growing busload of McCain luminaries.
McCain backers in the House of Delegates include: David B. Albo of Springfield, Thomas D. Gear of Hampton, Phillip A. Hamilton of Newport News, Terry G. Kilgore of Gate City, Donald Merricks of Danville, Harvey B. Morgan of Gloucester, Dave Nutter of Christiansburg, John M. O’Bannon of Henrico County, Glenn Oder of Newport News and Ed Scott of Madison.
Sens. Robert Hurt of Chatham and Ryan McDougle of Mechanicsville also are backing McCain, Saxman said.
House Speaker William J. Howell of Stafford County and Clarke N. Hogan of South Boston are in Mike Huckabee’s camp, which Howell chairs in Virginia.
Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling, R-Mechanicsville, heads up the Romney camp in Virginia. House Majority Leader H. Morgan Griffith of Salem is on board with Romney as are Dels. Jackson Miller of Manassas and Chris Peace of Mechanicsville.
By Bob Gibson
Daily Progress political blogger
LEXINGTON - The students at Washington and Lee University are betting that Hillary Clinton will be the Democratic presidential nominee despite a loss in South Carolina and a likely loss in Virginia.
Ironically, Clinton’s nomination came despite louder cheers at times from students who favored presidential candidate Barack Obama, whom the convention picked to win Saturday’s South Carolina primary plus Virginia’s Feb 12 Democratic primary.
The W&L Mock Convention picked former Rep. Harold E. Ford Jr. of Memphis, chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council, as Clinton’s running mate for vice president.
The move surprised even convention organizers. Ford, a rising star in the Democratic Party, was thrilled with the choice and told a local radio station that he “has got to ask his fiancée if that’s OK.” He nosed out U.S. Sen. Jim Webb and Obama in the voice votes for vice president.
Webb declined to endorse either Clinton or Obama and told the convention that the Bush administration still lacks an exit strategy to leave Iraq.
He said Republicans are talking about having U.S. troops there for 50 years.
“When you are dropping off your grandchildren at Washington & Lee, the Republican Party still wants to be in Iraq,” Webb said.
The W&L convention gave 45 Virginia delegates to Clinton, compared with 55 for Obama. John Edwards won one Virginia delegate.
By Bob Gibson
Daily Progress political blogger
Virginia Democrats may pick up a House seat this year in Northern Virginia as 11th District Rep. Tom Davis has decided to retire.
Davis will announce his retirement soon, possibly within a week, according to a political source I completely trust.
The Davis seat is held by a Republican in a district that now leans strongly D and would be tough for any other Republican to carry.
This retirement is no surprise, but it will set in motion a new level of political activity in Northern Virginia, which could affect the likely Mark Warner-Jim Gilmore race for the U.S. Senate, swelling Democratic totals there and also have an impact on the state’s presidential contest.
With other congressional races far less competitive thanks to redistricting and other incumbent advantages, the NoVa race could bring out a higher percentage of voters in that region to the advantage of either Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton.
Virginia hasn’t voted for a Democrat for president since 1964, but 2008 could change that. Who knows?
